The Orchard’s brand new standard audio specs are: WAV (.wav) / 16- or 24-bit / 44.1 kHz /

http://www.dailyrindblog.com/technical-supporting-high-quality-audio/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Client%20Newsletter:%20week%20of%20May%2016%2C%202016&utm_term=All%20Clients%20%2B%20All%20Orchardites
 
Hey there
 
I find it very important as well as confusing. I distribute my music via The Orchard. Far as I remember, the only was to upload music to Orchard was MP3. I uploaded my last album in 2010, so I do not remember what I did- it is possible I uploaded 16 bit/44.1 .wav file and they converted it to what ever MP3 standard they used at that time.
 
Now I am confused. This article about their new specs is contradiction. It says The Orchard’s brand new standard audio specs are: WAV (.wav) / 16- or 24-bit / 44.1 kHz / Stereo. But then it says, it accepts other formats (see article). Note that it says NOTHING about MP3. 
It also says, "Fun fact: most audio releases are in fact mastered as 24-bit, so it makes sense to offer to the consumer a record in its most native state."
 
I am wondering: Lets say I am mixing a song which is mixed 24 and 16 bit tracks. (I record at 24 now but my older songs were at 16 bit, and I am not sure what software synths use which samples). I mix the song first, and then master it in the new project with Izotope Ozone 7. Before I master, I export my song as a stereo track. Until now, I was exporting it at 16 bit and then do the Ozone 7 mastering on ut and export at 16 bit again.
 
The question is... if they do accept 24 bits now, does it means I should export stereo file after mixing in 24 bits for mastering, master it in 24 bits and then truncate one copy for CD format and leave another copy at 24 bit for digital distribution?
 
What do we do now? Thank you. 

+1
 
Except that I would recommend staying at 24 bit until the FINAL export. It's much better to leave Ozone working at 24 bit. 
 

I export SONAR files at 24 bit, 44.1 or whatever the project uses.  I put that wav into the project audio file and add it to the SONAR project timeline (muting, of course).  I then import that file into Sound Forge and  either use digital to master or send it out through outboard for mastering.  Then top and tail, and save as a 16 bit CD file and then mp3 (tho the best practice is to mp3 from the "project master" at 24 bits.  I put those finished files into another folder (mixes).  That pretty much covers all bases.  And again, it is best practice to master from the highest quality copy.

I export my mixes at 32 bit 44.1KHz.
 
I then re-import each one into the originating project file on it's own track. this makes it easy to verify that the export went as expected by comparing the export (track) with the mix of the project.
 
When all is ok, I open up my mastering template in sonar and import the same file again and feeds my mastering chain.
 
Remember this is still all at 32 bit!!
 
Finally, I export at 16 bit, 44.1KHz with dithering applied in order to burn a CD.
 
Your final requirements might be different depending on what you want!